We have a wonderfully talented friend who has a special talent for taking pictures and for teaching others how to do the same....I asked her if she would share some of the info that is on her blog and she said yes....so....welcome my guest blogger
Carolyn.
First picture I’m crouching down with my subject.
Carolyn.
What Makes a Great Photograph
Let’s be real. Anyone can take pictures these days. Everyone has a cell phone, a point and shoot, or a fancy DSLR. That’s why it’s so hard to break out into photography…because everyone can be a photographer. Do you wonder how the photographers that have successful businesses make it past the “everyone can do it” to “people are coming to me so I can do it for them?” Well they have talent, they’re very business savvy, but they also know The Secret. Instead of setting their camera on auto and shooting aimlessly, they know the secrets to what makes a great photograph.
Composition:
As a building needs a strong foundation, so does a picture. You need a good composition that will grab the viewer’s eye from afar. Does your picture have interesting shapes? Lines? Contrast? Take for instance the picture below. Your eye is drawn to the contrast of the yellow leaf against the gray background. The line of the stick leads you right into the picture. Once you are drawn in, you then notice the other details. Like perhaps the small water droplet at the tip of the leaf.
As a building needs a strong foundation, so does a picture. You need a good composition that will grab the viewer’s eye from afar. Does your picture have interesting shapes? Lines? Contrast? Take for instance the picture below. Your eye is drawn to the contrast of the yellow leaf against the gray background. The line of the stick leads you right into the picture. Once you are drawn in, you then notice the other details. Like perhaps the small water droplet at the tip of the leaf.
Perspective: If you use the same perspective in every picture you take, every picture you take is going to have the same perspective. Well, duh! What I’m saying is- if you want to have new and exciting pictures every time…you have to change it up. Shoot above your subject, below them, to the side. Make your subject switch positions. I know some people take 5 pictures of the same pose. Don’t do that! Every time you hear the shutter click, switch up your position. You may be getting an awesome picture you wouldn’t have gotten otherwise.
First picture I’m crouching down with my subject.
Second picture I’m standing on top of my fiance’s shoulders! Oh the possibilites…(and the things you’ll find to use!)
Framing:A subject standing against a plain background can be a very effective picture, but sometimes you’re looking for that extra spark. Sometimes your picture just needs that special something. Framing is using shapes and lines that draw your viewer to your subject. Here I used the four windows to frame our guitar player.
Here you have the doorway to bring your eyes right in to this charming senior.
There you have it. The Secrets. Not so much a secret because us photographers don’t like to share…but more a secret because not many photographers know. When you look at a picture and decide whether you like it or not, I can guarantee it has something to do with these 3 tips. If you find you’re stuck in a rut and aren’t getting the results you want…don’t go out and buy tons of expensive gear. Go back and learn the basic of a photo. This will help you learn what makes a great photo, and help you to re create it. Now these are just my 3 ideas…what are yours?
Happy shooting,
Carolyn
I love it!
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